The Handmaid's Tale

I have read many dystopian novels, the genre is one of my favorites. Oftentimes, the world created is without threat or consequence; I do not feel nor believe the full oppression of the regime in the novel, or the rules that are in place seem abritrary or ridiculous.

Over and over, when I scour for new dystopia to read, The Handmaid's Tale cropped up every time. It is truly a shame I didn't immediately dig into this book when it was initially purchased for me.

We are first introduced to Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a woman who is old enough to remember a better time before. Through the entire story, we are spoken to as if we are there with Offred, hearing her story. This definitely served to bring me with her into this horrible world, and to feel alongside the small triumphs, her panic, and her heartbreak. We slowly learn about Offred's past, the nusances of her position, and the world she now is forced to carve an existence from.

I can only describe the manner of writing as ‘flowy'; it creates spectacular imagery that isn't a stretch nor a burden to read:

A Tennyson garden, heavy with scent, languid; the return of the word swoon.Light pours down upon it from the sun, true, but also heat rises, from the flowers themselves, you can feel it: like holding your hand an inch from an arm, a shoulder. It breathes, in the warmth, breathing itself in. To walk through it in these days, of peonies, of pinks and carnations, makes my head swim.

There are zero infodumps, a trait I do unfortunately see in dystopian novels. We are only shown was is needed, and are slowly revealed pieces of Offred's story; her past, her “training”, her current situation, her hopes. It weaves itself together into a wonderful ending, with an addendium that enhances the conclusion.

If I had to pin down one thing that I felt was a negative, it would be Offred's lack of personality; It felt as if she was merely a vessel that we stepped into to see the world from her eyes. If this was intentional, it was masterfully done.

Five stars, and an insistence that if you enjoy well-written dystopia or even a fantastic story, place The Handmaid's Tale at the top of your list.